Mindless ‘Bourgeois’ Terrorism is Against Socialism

‘The weapon of criticism cannot, of course, replace criticism of the weapon, material force must be overthrown by material force; but theory also becomes a material force as soon as it has gripped the masses. Theory is capable of gripping the masses as soon as it demonstrates ad hominem, and it demonstrates ad hominem as soon as it becomes radical. To be radical is to grasp the root of the matter. But, for man, the root is man himself.’

Marx, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right. Introduction (1843)

Karl Marx was opposed to the judicial Death Sentence, and warned against pointless acts of desperate terrorism against the State, its assets, or those that serve it. On the other hand, Marx clearly stated that the Working Class had a right to defend itself from external aggression. The impression left is that ‘cliches’ of terrorists are pursuing a counter-productive (bourgeois) course of action that does nothing in its limited scope, to collectively ‘free’ the working class from the yoke of capitalist oppression. Indeed, such action inflicts mindless death upon individuals, and the damage and destruction of property, facilities and resources. Generally speaking, the State responds by limiting the ‘freedoms’ of its own citizens under the guise of ‘preventing’ further terrorist attacks. Therefore, the bourgeois habit of ‘separatist’ of terrorist groups attacking specific symbolic targets, ultimately brings a greater oppression upon the Working Class, particularly if those groups represent religion, nationalism, or limited special interest groups. Of course, things are different during times of open warfare, as with the circumstances of WWI that led directly to the Russian October Revolution of 1917, the founding of North Korea at the end of WWII, or the subsequent founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 (following the defeat of the ‘Nationalist’ Chiang Kai-Shek). Furthermore, the Soviet Union engaged in legitimate ‘self-defence’ activity during the Great Patriotic War (1941-45) and in the process defeated German Nazism. During the Cold War, the countries of the Communist Bloc defended their best ‘class’ interests against Western ‘capitalist’ aggression. In the West today, it is terrorist groups motivated by a vision of distorted religion, and fascism that are carrying-out their attacks on innocent civilians. This is still the case, even if they state that they are ‘retaliating’ for the hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths caused by US and NATO military action in the Middle East since 1991. Although it is true that the forces of capitalism (which includes Zionist Israel and its persecution of the Palestinians), do routinely deploy immense weapons of mass destruction, and often use those weapons motivated through a racist disregard for its victims, bourgeois acts of isolated terrorism does absolutely ‘nothing’ for the well-being of the Working Class, does not bring its freedom any closer, and often makes life considerably harder for those that toil for a living. As matters currently stand in the affluent West, it is more productive to pursue a path of legitimate progressive education, join a ‘legal’ leftwing Revolutionary political party (such as the ‘Communist Party’), and work to peacefully convert the forces of capitalist oppression over to the Socialist cause. Do not harm or kill the servants of the current bourgeois system, but treat them with respect and ‘convince’ them through reasoned argument that the establishment of Scientific Socialism in the UK through the democratic system, is in their best interests.